Vitamin C: Why is it important for your little one?

1 to 3 years

Created by
Puja Sharma Vasisht
Updated on Apr 04, 2017

One of the important vitamins that your child needs to be consuming daily is Vitamin C. Also known as ascorbic acid, Vitamin C has beneficial effects; it is an antioxidant, helps boost immunity, helps avoid common cold, and most importantly helps in iron absorption in the body. Take a look at some more of the benefits:

Antioxidant:By acting as an antioxidant, Vitamin C helps in reducing the damage caused by free radicals. These free radicals are produced not only in our body,but also from the smoke and pollution surrounding us these days. By keeping up the intake of vitamin C in your child’s diet, you can help minimize the ill-effects of pollution to some extent.

Boosting immunity: Vitamin C plays a direct role in the immune system. Several cells, including phagocytes and t-cells, require Vitamin C to perform their tasks. Thus, a deficiency can result in reduced resistance against some pathogens, ie, disease causing microbes

Common cold: Studies suggest that Vitamin C might shorten the duration of the common cold and may help reduce the severity of it.

Wound healing: Children fall while playing, ending up with injuries and bruises. Giving your child enough Vitamin C helps in woundhealing, by helping in collagen formation. When this vitamin is deficient in the diet, tissues like collagen and intercellular cement are not formed fully, which delays wound healing.

Iron absorption: In our largely vegetarian population, iron deficiency anemia is quite common. Eating foods rich in Vitamin C along with iron rich foods helps in better absorption of iron from the food. Children need enough iron for proper growth and development and Vitamin C helps in that.